Propeller



L. D. DENNIS.

PROPELLEH.

APPLlcATmN FILED 50.23.1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

NM L LID. DENNIS.

PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-23, I9I9.

` UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICEin.

'LITTLE n. 'nnNNIsY or PHILADELBHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

-PRQPELLER To all rwhom it may/concern;

j Be it known that I, LiTTLnD. DEiNNis, a

4citizen of the United States, residing vat Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia andjState of Pennsylvania, have invented p new and useful Improvements in Propellers,

of'which the following is a specification.

- It is the primary aimand object of this invention toprovidera device-of the above mentioned character wherein reciprocatory propeller blades are mounted on the stern of a vessel and designed tol be alternately` ar ranged in an extended form and ineathered relation during reciprocation for assuring of the propelling of the vessel at a consider ably high rate of speed. A l n As an equally important object this invention contemplates the provision of a device of the above mentioned character whereinV improved means is employed for slidably supporting thelblades` during reciprocation, while acting in conjunction "witlif the supporting means andthe blades .is theytripmeans for assuring of the-.extendingof thea blades when they reach the inner; endfof the supportinofmeans and for arranging the blades in feathered relation about the time they reach the end of .the outer strokefso that they maybemounted in featlieredrelation on their inner strokeso asnot, to retardthe speed of the .vessel. v V j y y Moreparticul'arly lthe present invention consists-in the provision of a device of the above mentioned character wherein the supportingframe is of Vnovel yconstruction so as tok effectively and s lidably'receiveeand support the Vcross bars of v theV blades during movement aswell`-- as apartV of the meansV forl imparting reciprocatorymotion, to' :the blades,.the frame being projected exteriorly" of the sternofthe vessel and alsoserves in-A cidentallv as a 'means for Ysupporting! fthe rudder. I f `l p r It isla. more speciic object of :tliepresent invention to provide improved shock absorbing vmeans orabsorbingshocks which may be' transmitted to the blades -upon arrangingthe same in feathered relationand forvalso absorbing the shocks at the time thebladesV are'arranged in extended formglto provide improved means for imparting reciprocatorymotion to the blades and to provide cooperative trip means of an improved construction on the blades and on the support# ing frames` Y Speocaton of Letters lfatent. ,liiijeIlJCl` A191218, Application inea ncmberas; 1919. seriainmaiies. f i

Aniongthe other aims and Vobjects of this'Y Y* i invention may be recitedfthe provision-of a device 'of the charactery described withV a y view to compactne'ss, and in which thenum ber of parts are few, "the constructionsimple and; the cost of production low andthe e;.

ciencyhigh. Y. l s -i Other improvements and iiovelldetails l in the construction (and arrangementfof thevarious*A parts of the apparatusfwillybe brought out more in detail in the description to follow, which for a clear understanding of the invention shouldwbe*considered inV`v A connection with the accompanying-drawings y 'forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed forthe purpose of illustration a fc'oneration of 'the various partys.`

The invention is Aclearlyillustratediii `r vaccompanying drawings, infwhich 1- f Figure l isa-sideelevation otthe'CQmp/lf device. l u v Figure -3 isa longitudinal sectional detailof the invention. Y

Figurelis a transverse section` takeny on linea-4' of Figure 1. I

the propellergblades.

of thelpacking gland.

Figure 7 p isanA enlargedlongitudinal l Y tional detailof one ofthe'propeller's. r 1

. Figure 5 is avperspectiveidetailofi Figure 8 is anotherl detail of the invention', i

' SimilarV characters of reference :are keinployed in all of the above described views, toindicate corresponding parts.f Y ReferringV now, more particularly, to the'.

accompanying ,drawingsfthere is provideda..-A

main supporting structure 'or frame VAindicated 'generally by. .the nuineralgl. desirably bars Q'preferably'of-alchanneled shapedvcon- 'f i figuration to lserve astrac'ksfina mannerto i vhereinafterbecome apparennandthese Qbars are connected;to-each other by means vof bars 2 with respect tol each other. The side' barsprbare each'projected throughthestern :5

iool `'oa rectangular configuration consistingotl 'f upper andlower spaced :and opposed side v tangular bearing openings and are also var-v ranged in pairs so as to project within andv beyond the stern of thD vessel or in opposite directions with respect to each other so as to form a substantial casing inwvhich is fittedl a packing gland or band 8. These glands are disposed about the side barsivhile suitable adjusting devices such as set screws 9 are mounted through the bearing plates 7 and contact with the glands or'bands 8 to maintain the latter in close relation with the side bars, taking up the wear, and providing a Water tight joint therebetween. As indi# cated the side bars of the frame are disposed Within the hull of the vessel and are also projected beyond or rearwardlyl of the stern of the vessel as indicated., Suitable fasteners 10 are extended through the bearings of the plates 7 and anchored to the bars to hold the frame rigid with respect to the hull of the vessel. As shown in the drawings a rudder 11 is opera-bly connected to the outer end of the frame and of course may be turned in any convenient manner for the guiding of the vessel. f l

vWith a view toward providing the im` proved propelling means opposedslides 12 are mounted in the opposed bars 2 which act as tracks orguides for the slides while the opposed slides are connected at their outer ends `byy a transverserod 13 to assure of the opposed slides moving in unison with each other VSv`7'in'gingly connected for vertical movement to thev cross rods 13 are relat-ively movable propeller blades 14` connection With the rods 13 being preferably obtained by vmeans of ears'15`Which'project from the inner ends ofthe blades, the' side edges of the blades arearranged within the frame, While pivotally connected to the outer edges of the blades by means ofpins 16, are links 1'?, the opposite ends of which are pivotedto the Vadjacent ends of trip levers 18 in turn pivoted by suitable pintles 1 9- to the adjacent slide 12 onthe free face thereof, asi'ndicated, and the free ends of these trip levers are designed vto strike asiigularly projecting pins or stops 20, projectedinwardly from the rupper ends of'supporting posts 21 and secured to the outerfaces ofthe adjacent bars 2." There is a similar post 234 connected' to the outer face "of each of theV side bars near the hull and of course a pin or stop 24 projects from the 'upper end of such post as indicated During reciprocation of the slides 12 the outer/ends of theV levers will alternately strike the outer pins 2O so as toV v,With-each other so as to contact upon each other upon the feathering of the blades for theabsorbing of the shocks likely to be transmitted thereto, as is apparent, also carried With'the slides in the rear of the blades and projecting' above and below the bars 2 on the inner faces thereof are blocks 26 formed in their outer faces with recesses 27 for accommodating' coiled spring 28 to the.

outer ends of which springs are connected bumpers 2.9, the spring' serving to yieldably support the bumpers so that the arrangement serves as a means for absorbing the shocks likely toV be transmitted to the blades upon the extending of the latter.

As intimatedi improved means have been provided for actuating the propellers so that they Will reciprocate alternately in opposite directions and in reducing this featureof the invention to practice there is provided Va suitable engine indicated generally by the numeral 30, mounted on the fioor 31 of the vessel or ship and this flooring desirably aligns with the lower side bars 2 of the frame 1, vWhile the engineincludes a pair of cylinders 32 in 'which' are mounted piston heads 38 having connection' with pistonrods 34. These piston'rods'are preferably connected to cross head'slides 35, in turn slidably mounted in the cross head guide' 36 supported bya suitablestructure 37 in spaced relation tothe floor. vThe connectingrods rShave their ends pivotally connected to the cross head slides and also operatively connected to pins 39 carried eccentrically on a rotatably mounted disk 40. In this connection it is to be noted that the pins 39 are arranged in opposed relation with each other, diametrically of the disk so asl to assure of the'alternate reciprocation ofthe piston heads. The disk is preferably carried )y a ,shaft 41 which is rotatably mounted in kspaced standards 42 on the supporting' floor 31,' as indicated inthe drawings. Other connecting or pitman rods 43 have adjacent ends connected to the opposed pins 39, While their outer ends are pivotally mounted as at 44 to a rocking beam 45 carried by a rock shaft 46 which in turn-has its respective ends mounted in bea-rings 47 formed on the upper ends of spaced standards 48 carried by the flooi'31. The beam operates ,in a slot 'in the licor, While the points of connection 44 are approximately medially ofgthe rocking point of the beam and the outer ends thereof, as indicated in' the drawings. Elongated links or connects ing rods 49 have their respective ends oper` ably connected to the outer ends of the rock ing beam 45 and medially of the ends of transverse rods 51 which connect the opengine one of the piston heads 33 will move forwardly to move the adjacent connecting rod 3S correspondmglyand owing to the eccentric connection or' the said connecting rod with the disk 40 andthe eccentric connection of the rod 43 with the diskfand its pivotal connection with the .lowerportion of the rocking beam 45, thelatter .will be swung rearwardly to shove the elongated link correspondingly to consequently impart a rearward sliding movement to the lower slides 12. Asthe lower propeller blades are oper-V atively connected to thelower slide the same will be shoved toward the outer portion of the trame-1 againstthe water, which acts as a resistance for the propelling of the vessel. W'hen the trip levers 18 contact with the stops 20, the former will be swung about their pivots and owing to the link 17 between the levers and the adjacent propeller blades 14,. the blades will be Vquickly folded into feathered relation toward each other forcing the water Jfrom between 'the bladesl to insure of :ineffective motionbeing imparted to the vessel, the springs 25 of course serve to Vabsorb the shocks. Now while the piston head 33 moves inonedirection, the other piston head moves in'an opposite-directionA to consequently. swing the upper portion of the beam 45 rearwardly owing 'to theY arrangement of the connecting rods 38 and 43 with the disk 40. As the upper portions of the beam swings rearwardly, the adjacent connecting rod or link 49is moved so as to move the upper slides outwardly, the bladesY 14 which are connected to the upper slides being arranged in Jfeathered relation until they almost reach the inner end of their stroke and about this time the trip leversy 1S strike the pins 24 on the inner posts orY standards 23 so as to swing'the blades into lan Vextended position so that the said blades may be moved outwardly, while the lower blades are being drawn inwardly, it beingV appreciatedi'that the'continuous operationv of the engine repeats this cycle of operation for the propelling ofV the `ship or vessel. Either one or Ythe.other.propeller elements may be made to operate as a stopping medium for the vessel in which case theV engine must be brought to a state of .rest withV `the trip levers V'18 of. oneY of the propellersV against the pins oi' its attendant post when `the propeller .blades are heldinY open or eliy tended position, thus interposing a resistance to the progress of the vessel and thereby 1 tending to'stopV the same.

What is claimed is;-

v1. A ship propulsion apparatus compris` ing a propeller consisting of a pair of pivotally connected blades and a slide on which said blades are mounted, blocks mounted on the slides and provided with bumpers for engaging the bladesin oneposition of the latter, pivotally mounted trip levers carried bythe slide and disposed in intersecting re lation and operatively Vconnected with the blades at intermediate points on the latter,

and impact elements disposed 'for engagement with the trip levers to rock the same and thereby extend the blades ina position to lie substantially in the same planeor to 'move them to positions in substantial paralj lel'ism.

Y 2: ,A yship vpropulsion apparatus compris' inga propellerconsisting of a pair of piv- Y otally connected Vbladesand a rslide on which said blades are mounted, blocks mounted on:V the Vslides and provided with bumpers Jfor engaging the blades-in one position onthe latter, Vpivotally .mounted trip levers carried by the'slide and disposed in intersecting relation, vlinks connecting the rear end of said trip levers with intermediate points on theV blades, and posts provided with stop pins for impact with the trip levers to rock the same and Vthereby extend the blades to a' position to lie substantially in thesame'plane orto move them to positions in substantial parallelism for the purpose settorth.

. In testimony whereof'l aiiiX my signature.

Y LITTLE D. DENNIS. 

